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Upnor Castle, Kent Archaeologia Cantiana Vol. 65 1952 UPNOR .CASTLE, KENT HiSTOBY By B. H. St. J. O-'NEEL, F.S.A., and S. EVANS COASTAL defence has been a necessity in this country from very early days especially in those parts which are adjacent to the Continent of Europe. The coasts of Kent and Sussex, which face France, were equipped with special defences by Henry VIII, c. 1540, by means of a series of castles of entirely new design. There were five similar castles or blockhouses on the Thames around Gravesend and Tilbury, but none seems to have been built on the Medway, where Rochester Castle still commanded the crossing by the bridge. It was not until the dockyard came to be built downstream from this castle that there seemed any need for additional defences on the Medway. From 1547 onwards Jillyngham Water became increasingly important as an anchorage for the expanding English Navy, in addition to that at Deptford and Woolwich. Storehouses were being rented at Gillingham and Rochester in 1547, 1548 and 1550. In 1559 war was expected to break out with France. It is not surprising, therefore, to learn that in 1560 orders were given for the erection of a fortification at Upnor. This site is on the opposite side of the water to the dockyard, but its position is a good one both for observation and command of the river. It is first heard of in 1560, when a certain Richard Watts of Rochester was appointed by Queen Elizabeth to be Paymaster, Pur- veyor and Clerk of the Works for the erection of a Bulwark at Upnor in the parish of Frindsbury " for the savegard of our Navy ".1 In the following year the Queen is found ordering the work to be completed,2 and in June, 1562, it was recommended that stone should be taken from Rochester Castle for use in the work at Upnor,3 but there is no evidence from the types of masonry that this was actually done. By December, 1562, the work had not been completed, although it is 1 Cal. S.P. Dom., 1647-80, p. 172. 2 Ibid., p. 202. 3 Ibid., p. 204. UPNOR CASTLE, KENT. Gatehouse from outside. (Crown Copyright Reserved) PLATE II UPNOR CASTLE, KENT. Gatehouse from within. (Crown Copyright Reserved) [fact p. 1 TJPNOB, CASTLE, KENT known that Watts was still Paymaster in August of that year.1 It took four years to complete at a cost of £3,621 13s. Id.2 . It seems fairly clear that the building of that time comprised, not only the castle proper, i.e. the main building with the courtyard, curtain, gatehouse and two towers, but also the battery or bastion which projects eastwards into the river. The latter has embrasures for cannon which have only an external splay. In this respect they are an advance upon those in the gatehouse and towers of the castle which have an internal as well as an external splay, although the latter is longer and wider than the former. During the preparations for the war with Spain, which included the exploit of the Spanish Armada, Upnor Castle was well maintained. As early as 1585 precautions were taken.3 In the following year there is the first mention of " the charge of a great chain of iron, to cross the river over against Upnor Castle with timber work on both sides, of the river ".* In 1588 the maintenance of the chain cost 80 pounds a year.5 This chain was a device, like a boom, often used in the Middle Ages to bar access up a river by hostile craft. In 1596 there was renewed fear of invasion of this country by the Spaniards. Five ships were posted near the chain.6 Lord Admiral Howard reported to Cecil that Upnor Castle should either be well garrisoned, or be pulled down to deny it to an enemy who might land and surprise it. He suggested 50 trained men to guard it ;7 a month later its garrison was 80 men who each received 8d. a day.8 From this year, when the garrison was fully maintained, dates the earliest of several initials and dates scratched on the castle walls, viz., T.M. 1596 on the arch into the north tower. By 1622 the chain across the river must have needed attention ; for it was ordered to spend £35110s. upon making a barricade in its stead or to supplement it.0 Later documents make it clear that this was primarily a boom made of masts,10 but that the chain was still there is shown by a mention of it jp. 1629.11 In January, 1634-5, the King ordered the repair of the'barricade,12 but nothing seems to have been done. For in the following November the officers of the Navy are 1 Cal. S.P. Dom., 1547-80, p. 213. 2 V.O.H. Kent, II, p. 294, quoting Pipe off. Deol. Accts., pp. 2204, 3645, Add. MSS., p. 5722, fol. 372. 3 Cal. S.P. Dom., 1581-90, p. 232. 4 Ibid., p. 304. 6 Ibid., p. 556. 6 Ibid., 1595-7, p. 306. 7 Ibid., p. 310. 8 Ibid., p. 314. 0 Ibid., 1619-23, p. 335. « Ibid., 1634-6, pp. 492-3. » Ibid., 1628-9, p. 668. 12 Ibid., 1634-5, p. 478. UPNOR CASTLE, KENT found writing to the Lords of the Admiralty as follows : " For the barricade at Upnor Castle, lately broken by the great Frost, they recommend for this winter the employment of the two pinnaces called the Moon and the Seven Stars. For the future they advise that four lighters more may be made, which, with the present six and the before- mentioned two pinnaces, should bear up an iron chain across that place, which will not be so subject to break as the late barricade made of masts and be far less expense. To renew the former barricade will cost £2,305 besides £624 12s. 9d. per annum to maintain it. The suggested chain weighing 28 tons of iron at £45 per ton wrought will cost £1,260 and 11 anchors to moor the ships and lighters, six tons at £40 per ton, &24Q."1 Still nothing was done. On 20th May, 1636, the chain or barricado was described as " broken and out of order these two years ".2 The officers of the Navy wrote again on the subject to the Lords of the Admiralty on 19th October, 1637, about " a new chain in place of the barricado at Upnor Castle which His Majesty ordered some years past ".3 Presumably the Lords of the Admiralty were then moved to order the work, since no more is heard of it. The garrison of the castle at this time under a captain, who received £30 a'year, sometimes included a lieutenant,* but always a master gunner at 16d. a day, seven gunners at 12d. a day each and 20 foot soldiers at 8d. each a day.5 At the outbreak of the Civil War in 1642, Upnor Castle, with the two forts or sconces commanding the river and Chatham Dock, were surrendered to Parliament, who garrisoned them.6 Nothing further is heard until the sudden rising in 1648 known as the insurrection in Kent. Major Brown was the governor of the castle. It is recorded that a Mr. John Boberts seized Major Brown and took the castle for the King. But the insurrection was -soon suppressed, and by 30th June of the same year Lord Fairfax, the Parliamentarian general, had reviewed it and recommended the repair of the platforms and other defects. This was estimated to cost £101 12s.7 It seems that Major Brown was back at his post as governor or captain ; for the proceedings of the Council of State for December, 1649, refer first to work of repair which he is to do8 and later to work which he had already done.9 Altogether the work must have been very 1 Cal. S.P. Dom., 1634-5, pp. 492-3. 2 Ibid., 1636-7, p. 442. 3 Ibid., 1637 ? 4 Ibid., 1636-7, p. 275. 6 Ibid., 1639-40, p. 527. 0 Ibid., 1641-3, p. 374. 7 Ibid., 1648-9, p. 147. 8 Ibid., 1649-60, p. 429. ° Ibid., p. 431. 3 TJPNOB CASTLE, KENT considerable, because on 18th. November, 1650, a warrant was issued to pay Major Brown £673 2s. 4d. for moneys disbursed in the repair of TJpnor Castle.1 The nature of the work done at this time is indicated by the happenings of three years later. On 28th February, 1653, Thos. Harrison, Governor of Upnor Castle, petitioned the Admiralty Commit- tee " for repair of the gatehouse, which took fire, and five soldiers' rooms were burned, and for covering in of the north tower, built by Major Brown, but left uncovered, so that it will soon be destroyed, there being timber in Chatham Dockyard unfit for shipping, but fit for repairs." The Navy Commissioners were ordered to have the Gate- house and Tower surveyed and certify the charge and the necessity of repair.2 After making sure that the castle would continue to be of use to the Navy,3 the Council of State ordered the work to be done with the timber in the dockyard akeady specified.4 The estimate for carpenters', bricklayers' and plumbers' work was £230.5 The marks of the burning of 1653 may be seen on the inside of the west wall on the first floor of the gatehouse where the stones are calcined. The presence of bricklayers to the exclusion of masons in this estimate, coupled with the amount of money spent by Major Brown, suggest that it was he who made the additions in brick to the gatehouse and the north tower.
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